Car-fender.



R. L. HUSTON.

CAR FENDER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 28, 1916.

Patented F61). 20, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 R. L. HUSTON.

CARFENDER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 28, 1916.

Patented Feb. 20, 1917'.

.2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

RQY L. HUSTON, OF CARTERVILLE, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF TO CHARLES T;

' CLARK, OF GARTEBVILLE, "MISSOURI.

CAR-FENDER.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Feb, 20, 191*? Application filed November 28, 1916. Serial No. 133,369.

improvements in car fenders and the principal object of the inventionis to provide a fender adapted to pick up a person struck by the same and thereby avoid the possibility of the person or object getting under the car and becoming entangled in the running gear.

Another object of the invention is to provide a safety fender which when a person or object falls thereinto is operated to swing its front panel upwardly in order to avoid the possibility of the person or object rolling out of the front end of the fender and on to the track.

A further object of the invention is to provide a locking means for holding the front panel upwardly which is automaticallyoperated upon the releasing of the fender and which will support the panel in its uppermost or intermediate position until the panel is released.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts which will be fully set forth in the following specification and accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a fragmentary side view of the front platform of a car showing a fenderconstructed in accordance with this invention applied thereto,

Fig. 2 is a top plan View ofthe fender showing the same removed from a car,

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view on line 33 of Fig. 1 of the fender showing the front panel partially folded in dotted lines,

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view through the fender showingin detail the bump board and mechanism controlled thereby, and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary detail sectional view of the latch for holding the front panel of the fender in its various positions.

Referring to the drawing the numeral 1 designates a car of the ordinary construction having attached to the front bumpers the fender designated generally by the numeral 2. This fender comprises the side panels 3 and at which are connected and held in parallel spaced relation by the rear panels 5 and a bottom panel 6. It will be understood that these panels 3,4, 5, and 6 may be constructed of frame bars and suitable netting so as to form a support for a person or object when the same falls into the fender. Extending between the horizontal frame bars of the rear panel 5 are suitable vertical supporting bars 7 which are arranged in spaced parallel relation and formed intermediate their ends with enlargements 8 which provide supports for the transversely extending shaft 9 on which the rocker arm to be more fully hereinafter described is pivoted.

The front end of the device is closed by the front panel 10 which is hingedly connected to the forward edge of the bottom 6 as at 11 and is adapted to fold upwardly into a vertical position so as to extend parallel with relationto the rear panel 5 and thus form a complete box like structure into which the person or object falls when struck bythe fender Attached to the upper forward corners of the side panels 3 and 4 are the forwardly extending arcuate arms 12 which are provided with apertures 14, the

. useof which will appear as the description proceeds.

In order to normally tend to swing the front panel upwardly, suitable retractile coil springs 15 are attached at their forward ends" to the upper bar of the front panel 10 while the rear ends of said springs are connected to suitable eyes 16 which surround the upper horizontal bar of the rear panel 5. It will thus be seen that an upward and inward pull will be exerted on the panel which will normally tend to swing the front panel 10. to closed position.

In order to hold the panel in open position, a suitable trip rod 17 is provided and is slidable through an eye 18 supported on the lower forward bar of the bottom panel 6 and this trip rod is provided at its forward end with a hook 18 which engages the bar of the front panel at the free edge thereof to normally hold the same in the positions shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The rear end of this trip rod is bent upwardly as at 19 and provided with an eye 20 which receives a pivot pin 21 in order to pivotally connect the rear end of the trip .rod to a lever 22 which is pivotally mounted intermediate its ends to the bar The upper end of the lever 22 has pivotally connected thereto as at 23 a forwardly, extending arm at which supports at its forward extremity the bumper board 25 which when struck forces the arm 2% rearwardly thereby causing the lever 22'to rock on its pivot and'inove' the trip arm 17 forwardly thus: releasing the hook 18 and allowing the springs 15' to swing the front panel to a vertical position.

in order to provide a mea for holding the panel in its closed or partially closed position, a suitablelatch casing 26 is connectedtoopposite ends of the free edge of the front panel lQand this latch casing has slidably mounted therein a latch 27 which is normallyforced outwardly by a spring 28 so that the tongue 29 of said latch will he moved into cont-acting engagement with the walls of the openings 14 in the arcuate bars 12 and 13. I

It will be apparent from the foregoing that when the fender strikes a person or object, the same will be thrown upon the fender and falling against the bumper board 25 will rock the lever 22 thus causing the trip bar 17 .to move forwardly at which time the hook-"18 is disengaged from the front panel thus allowing the same toswing upwardly under the influence of the springs 15 and it will be evident that the tongue 29 of the latch 27 will ratchet against the Walls of the openings 14 as the panelswings upwardly and when the panel comes to a stop it will be seen that the tongues will project through certain of the openings 14 thus firmly locking the panel in closed position.

.VVhile in the foregoing there has been shown and described the preferred embodimentof this invention, it is to be understood that such changes may be made in the combination and arrangement of parts as will fall within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed is 1. A. fender comprising a substantially box like structure having a hinged front wall, springs normally urging said front wall upwardly to closed position, a trip mechanism for holding said wall in open position, means to release the trip mechanism, means to lock the wall in closed posi- 'binnperboard at the forward end of the arm, a trip bar extending beneath the box like structure and having its rear end connected to the lower end of the rocking lever, a hook at the forms-(rem of the trip bar :ulapted to' engage the front panel'to hold the same in lowermost po'sition, springs to urge thepanel to closed position and means to hold the panel in closed position after the trip bar has been operated to' release said panel. I

3. A fender con'iprisinga box like structure adapted to be attached to the forward end of a vehicle, a hingedpanel closing the forward end of the box like structure, a rocking lever at therear end of the box like structure, an arm extending forwardly from the lever into the box like structure, a bumper board at the forward end of the arm, a trip bar extending beneath the box like structure and having its rear'end connected to the lower end of the rockinglever', a hook at the forward end'of the trip bar-adapted to engage the front panelto hold the same in lowermost posit-ion, springs to urgethe panel to closed position and means to hold the 1 panel in closed 'positionafter the trip bar has been operated to releasesaid panel, arcuate bars extending forwardlyand downwardly from the upper forward corners er the box like structure, said afcuate bars being provided with apertures'and latches carried by the forward panel for engaging in the apertures of the arcualte bars to lock the panel in its uppermost position after the trip bar has been released. v t v r In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

nor L. nusrou.

Witnesses: v

J. H. CLARKE, J. R.'CLARK.

Copies of this pat ent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. c." 

